How to Avoid Getting Sick This Winter (Even When Your Significant Other Is)

By Marissa Gold

It’s officially November, which means flu season will be hanging around like a dark cloud for the next few months. We all want to avoid getting a cold or flu, but sometimes it’s inevitable—like when your significant other is sniffling and red-cheeked and you have no choice but to share a bed.

We asked Keri Peterson, M.D., an internist in NYC who works with ZocDoc, to break down all the facts. Here, she explains how we contract a cold or flu in the first place, how to tell the difference between the two, and what we can do to avoid germs altogether.
First: what’s contagious, and when?
“The flu is contagious a day before and five to seven days after its onset,” says Dr. Peterson. She says symptoms are:
Aches and pains
Fatigue
High fever
Runny/stuffy nose
Watery eyes
Sore throat
Cough

“The cold is contagious a day or two before you feel sick and up until the time when all of your symptoms are gone, which can be up to two weeks,” Dr. Peterson says. Yikes. “The peak of contagiousness lasts during the three to four days when you feel the most sick.”

Now, what do you do if your partner is sick? No kissing for weeks?!
“Until all of your symptoms are gone, kissing on the mouth is one of the fastest ways to catch a cold. It’s best to hold off for at least a few days while your partner is sick,” Dr. Peterson says. “Take this time as an opportunity to get a little creative and try out the other ways to show your partner affection. Write a love note, cook a favorite meal, or fill the Netflix queue with your partner’s favorite shows.” Sweet. But back to keeping ourselves safe from the germs…

This excellent article was originally published here – http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2015/11/how-to-avoid-getting-sick-cold-flu